Ring Therapeutics Announces New Strategic Partnerships with A*STAR and SERI to Establish Gene Therapy R&D Efforts in Singapore, a Growing Global Biotech Hub

Wide-ranging A*STAR and SERI partnership will accelerate the development of novel developmental candidates in the areas of ophthalmology and oncology, and bioprocessing technologies to support their production
Ring Therapeutics, A*STAR, and SERI MOU Signing Ceremony November 2024

Left to right: Professor Aung Tin, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC), Professor Tan Sze Wee, Assistant Chief Executive, Biomedical Research Council, A*STAR, and Tuyen Ong, MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Ring Therapeutics

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ring Therapeutics, a life sciences company founded by Flagship Pioneering to revolutionize gene therapy with its commensal virome platform, today announced new strategic partnerships with the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore’s lead public sector R&D agency; and the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) to advance innovative R&D efforts and support the continued development of the biomedical science ecosystem in the region. “The strategic benefits for the company are profound and span the entirety of the platform, from early discovery work where we plan to characterize novel anellovirus genomes to enable ophthalmology and oncology applications, to indication portfolio expansion via the testing of novel payloads across multiple therapeutic areas, to enhancing process performance for our next-generation manufacturing platform,” said Tuyen Ong, MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer at Ring Therapeutics and CEO-Partner at Flagship Pioneering. “Through engaging a global ecosystem of R&D experts, these partnerships will further expand the potential of our Anellogy platform and aim to accelerate the clinical translation of our AnelloVector™ therapeutics.” The A*STAR and SERI partnership will accelerate the creation of new potential treatments for eye diseases (ophthalmology) and cancer (oncology), while also improving the methods and technologies needed to produce these treatments. The collaboration will bring together synergistic expertise in scale-up manufacturing and capabilities for continued advancements of scientific breakthroughs and technological development in the region. Professor Tan Sze Wee, Assistant Chief Executive, Biomedical Research Council, A*STAR, added, “We are excited to partner with Ring Therapeutics, whose pioneering platform technology complements our mission to advance innovative medicines. By bringing together our technologies and premier research capabilities, this collaboration holds great promise for translating groundbreaking discoveries into impactful therapeutic solutions for patients. We believe this strategic fit will foster continued scientific collaboration and inspire advanced R&D development within the Singapore biotech ecosystem, ultimately bringing impact and benefiting those in need.” Professor Jodhbir Mehta, Executive Director, SERI, added, “Gene therapy presents an exciting opportunity to treat ophthalmic diseases that previously had no effective treatments. This partnership will allow SERI to further develop Ring’s novel class of viral vector that has higher tropism and is potentially redosable. We look forward to making significant strides in developing groundbreaking therapies that will reduce vision impairment.” About The Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore’s lead public sector R&D agency. Through open innovation, we collaborate with our partners in both the public and private sectors to benefit the economy and society. As a Science and Technology Organisation, A*STAR bridges the gap between academia and industry. Our research creates economic growth and jobs for Singapore, and enhances lives by improving societal outcomes in healthcare, urban living, and sustainability. A*STAR plays a key role in nurturing scientific talent and leaders for the wider research community and industry. A*STAR’s R&D activities span biomedical sciences to physical sciences and engineering, with research entities primarily located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis. About Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) Established in 1997, Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) is Singapore’s national research institute for ophthalmic and vision research. SERI’s mission is to conduct high-impact eye research that prevents blindness, low vision and major eye diseases common to Singaporeans and Asians. Over the last decade, SERI has conducted landmark research projects that have led to tangible outcomes, patient benefits, and success stories. It has paved the way for significant improvements in how eye diseases are treated and prevented, not just for Singaporeans or Asians, but on a global scale. At its inception, SERI saw a national remit in ophthalmic and vision research. SERI has grown from a founding team of five in 1997 to a faculty of more than 251 staff, encompassing clinician scientists, scientists, research fellows, PhD students and support staff. This makes SERI one of the largest research institutes in Singapore, as well as the largest eye research institute in the Asia Pacific region. SERI has also over 230 adjunct faculties from various eye departments, biomedical institutes and tertiary centres in Singapore. SERI has published an impressive array of 4,831 scientific papers and has secured external peer-reviewed competitive grants. As of 31 March 2022, SERI’s faculty has been awarded with more than 1,057 national and international prizes and filed 148 patents. As the research institute of the SNEC, and directly affiliated to the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, as well the Duke-NUS Medical School, SERI undertakes vision research in collaboration with local clinical ophthalmic centres and biomedical research institutions, as well as major eye centres and research institutes throughout the world. SERI ranks first globally in terms of eye publications per capita, far ahead of the US, UK and Japan. With its impressive publication track record, SERI is comparable to renowned eye institutes, both regionally and internationally. Please see www.seri.com.sg. About Ring Therapeutics Ring Therapeutics is revolutionizing the genetic medicines and nucleic acid medicine space by harnessing the most abundant and diverse member of the human commensal virome, anelloviruses. The company developed the Anellogy™ platform which focuses on anelloviruses to potentially treat a broad range of diseases. Through harnessing the unique properties of these commensal viruses, the Anellogy™ platform generates diverse vectors that exhibit both tissue-specific tropism and the potential to be re-dosed. Ring Therapeutics, founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2017, aims to develop and further expand its portfolio by leveraging its platform to unlock the full potential of gene therapy and nucleic acid medicines, enabling a variety of mechanisms that successfully deliver therapeutic cargo to unreachable organs and tissues. To learn more, visit https://www.ringtx.com/ or follow us on X (Twitter) and LinkedIn. Press Contacts Ring Therapeutics Media Jacqueline Wickwire LifeSci Communications 617-901-2854 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Nageswaran Naganandhini Corporate Communications [email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/119cb66b-2579-48b9-8ab9-cf41868b877f